Pet Shop Boys

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I see you after many years
On an elevated train
Rattling above the streets of a city
Where men don't wait in vain
I think, my, you may have changed
But you're such a handsome thing
Do you still hang around that old arcade
To see what luck will bring?

[Chorus]
(Will of the wisp)
The U1 is such a party train
(Will-o-the-wisp)
From Uhland to Warschauerstraße
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Emerging from below past Nollendorfplatz
(Will-o-the-wisp)
In search of love and laughter
(Will-o-the-wisp)

[Post-Chorus]
Oh (Will-o-the-wisp)
Oh (Will-o-the-wisp)
Oh (Will-o-the-wisp)
Oh
[Verse 2]
You were always such a free spirit
A bright-eyed eager chap
A will-o-the-wisp and charming with it
In your battered leather cap
(Will-o-the-wisp)
But maybe you've gone respectable
With a wife and job and all that
Working for the local government
And living in a rented flat?

[Chorus]
(Will-o-the-wisp)
The U1 is such a party train
(Will-o-the-wisp)
From Uhland to Warschauerstraße
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Emerging from below past Nollendorfplatz
(Will-o-the-wisp)
In search of love and laughter
(Will-o-the-wisp)

[Bridge]
And you, my former will-o-the-wisp
Will you recognize me today?
Give me a smile for old time's sake
Before you run away
[Chorus]
(Will-o-the-wisp)
You were always such a free spirit
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Aren't you getting bored?
(Will-o-the-wisp)
A will-o-the-wisp and charming with it
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Who loved to be adored
(Will-o-the-wisp)
The U1 is such a party train
(Will-o-the-wisp)
From Uhland to Warschauerstraße
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Emerging from below past Nollendorfplatz
(Will-o-the-wisp)
In search of love and laughter
(Will-o-the-wisp)
You were always such a free spirit
(Will-o-the-wisp)
Who came and went so much
(Will-o-the-wisp)
A will-o-the-wisp and charming with it
I'm still longing for your touch
(Will-o-the-wisp)Embed

If there's one band that has been continuously delivering pop music that's relevant for more than three decades, it's definitely the Pet Shop Boys. The synthpop duo is famous for their catchy hooks, political commentary, and not shying away from controversial topics. Their fourteenth studio album, Hotspot, released in 2019, marked their 35th year as a musical duo, and every song on the album sounds like it's proven that the Pet Shop Boys have indeed aged like fine wine.

About Will-o-the-wisp

"Will-o-the-wisp" is the opening track of Hotspot, a propulsive, uptempo, and classic-PSB electro-pop track. The song perfectly captures what we can expect from the duo's music. It’s clever, catchy, and ultimately a joy to listen to. But what exactly informed the track? Where did the inspiration for the song come from? Let's take a closer listen.

On the surface level, the inspiration for "Will-o-the-wisp" seems to be rooted in Neil Tennant's experience riding the U1 line of Berlin's U-Bahn. The verses seem to describe the experience of riding a train through the city: "Underneath this metropolis / Lies a network of tunnels and tubes / Let's stick together in this age of disconnect / Tunnel vision. I see you and the way we connects." But the inspiration isn't purely personal or autobiographical. Instead, as with so much of the Pet Shop Boys' music, it’s more complex than that.

Neil Tennant's lyrics may provide the song’s surface-level inspiration, but the Pet Shop Boys have created a multi-layered track that honors both their history and the larger canon of English literature. It’s well known that Tennant has a deep love of literature, and specifically of the work of Christopher Isherwood. Fans of Isherwood's work will recognize the title of the song immediately. It’s taken from a line in Isherwood's diaries, where he uses it to describe the flickering lights in his garden at night. The image of a beacon that leads travelers astray, of a will-o'-the-wisp, has a long and rich history in English literature.

Ultimately, the Pet Shop Boys have managed to create a song that combines these two inspirations in a clever and thoughtful way. "Will-o-the-wisp" is both a celebration of the modern world and a tribute to English literature and history. It’s a song that perfectly captures what makes the Pet Shop Boys so unique, and it’s an excellent start to Hotspot, one of the band's best albums in years.

So, if you're looking for a song that combines the best of modern music with a deep appreciation for literature and history, "Will-o-the-wisp" is definitely worth your time. Whether you're a fan of the Pet Shop Boys or just looking for something new to listen to, it's a track that's sure to leave you dancing and thinking in equal measure.

• Release Date: January 24, 2020
• Artist: Pet Shop Boys